crusader

Interesting to see a sole Vought F8U (F8U-1?) Crusader aboard USS Kearsarge (CV-33) during this time period (1957-58).

Apparently, James Smith had questions about this Crusader, as well, and this slide is the one he appears to be referring to below. See: www.f8crusader.org/gatrfixr.htm

"JAMES E. SMITH" [email address omitted] Just read the home page on VF 53. I wish to inform you that VF 53 was my squadron on the USS Kearsarge and I was a plane captain with them and we had the FJ3s CDR James Pariseau was the CO and LTCDR Fields was the XO . We were stationed at Moffett Field in 56 and returned to Moffett after the cruise and we then were disbanded and we became a training command squadron with the F8Us. We deployed on the Kear in 57 with CAG three and the Banshee squadron was VF 124 not the VF 53. I have the book to prove it and I can scan some pix from the book if you need them. Also there at that time was VA 24 Cougars and a VFAW3 squadron and a squadron of ADs. This may shock some folks but when we returned from WESPAC in 57 on the USS Kearsarge CVA 33 we did not do much flying and it was an "along for the ride" trip. On that trip back home stuck away in hangar bay #2 was a F8! It was sealed up form the salt corrosion and it never moved from the day it was lifted onboard in Yokosuka. I think that I have a colored slide of it. I'll have to look. I often wondered about that AC and what it was doing there but nobody seemed to know? I was a plane captain with VF 53 at the time and we had left ALL of our FJ3-4s back at Atsugi so it was a leisurely ride back across the big blue pond. Does anyone know anything of this AC. Again, I'll have to look in my slide collection of that era. Jim [email address omitted]

150855 VFP-63 F-8J PP-671 ran off runway.

Looking at archival photos of this type, the only aircraft I could find with this checkerboard pattern on the vertical stabilizer (I think that's what it's called) was the RF-8. So, this may be the reconnaissance variant? After some trial and error, the signature appears to be, "Dudley Moore." He's a fan of this type according to a pull quote on this unofficial Navy VP-62 web site.